The North's government said its country is able to "fully respond to any war the U.S. would like to ignite," according to the state media

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In this May 10, 2016, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves at parade participants at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea.

The United States has not struck fear into North Korea, foreign ministry officials said Tuesday, according to state news agency KCNA. That's despite America's warnings that pre-emptive military action is on the table in response to the North's growing nuclear program.

"If the businessmen-turned-U.S. authorities thought that they would frighten [North Korea], they would soon know that their method would not work," the ministry said, according to the agency.

The ministry added that the North's government "has the will and capability to fully respond to any war the U.S. would like to ignite."

NBC News reported the comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that an elevated weapons threat from the North "would be met with an appropriate response."

Tillerson Stands at N. Korean Border in DMZ

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. The heavily fortified border has been maintained since the Korean War ended with a truce 64 years ago. Tillerson arrived in South Korea earlier in the day on the second leg of his first Asian tour in office. He posed for photos with South Korea soldiers at the North Korean border.